Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery

Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery is a cemetery in the London Borough of Bromley, opened in 1876.

Beckenham Crematorium - the chapel

Location and history

Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery is located between South Norwood Country Park and Birkbeck.[1] The cemetery was opened in 1876[2] although it is often erroneously reported as 1880 and was initially known as the Crystal Palace District Cemetery.[3] It is often referred to today as the Elmers End Cemetery due to its location within Beckenham and proximity to Elmers End station. Beckenham Crematorium opened on the site in 1956.[4] It is served by Birkbeck station, as well as Elmers End station for National Rail and London Tramlink and by Harrington Road tram stop for Tramlink.

Burials

Memorials
Grave of W.G. Grace
  • 130 World War I graves, including a number of casualties from the Royal Naval Depot at Crystal Palace Park and the Army Services Corp Motor Transport Depot at Grove Park .[2][5] The graves of 30 which could not be individually marked are listed on a Screen War Memorial, while those of 40 who could be satisfactorily maintained were later commemorated by 30 headstones placed in the cemetery's Second World War war graves plot.[5]
  • 127 World War II graves, 12 of which are in a purpose made War Grave plot which also contains special memorials to 3 personnel of the same war whose graves could not be satisfactorily maintained.[5]
  • There is a memorial to 21 members of the Beckenham Auxiliary Fire Service who were killed in the course of a single night (19–20 April 1941) during a German raid on the East End of London in World War II. Many of the firemen were buried in the cemetery, some others in nearby West Wickham.[6]

Notable burials

References
  1. "Beckenham Crematorium & Cemetery". www.ikent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  2. "Beckenham Cemetery". dignityfunerals.co.uk. 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  3. "Victorian London - Death and Dying - Cemeteries - Crystal Palace District Cemetery". victorianlondon.org. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  4. "Beckenham Crematorium". dignityfunerals.co.uk. 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  5. CWGC Cemetery Record.
  6. Kent Fire Brigade Roll of Honour 1899-1990 Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine

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